Oklahoma Medicaid director to step down effective Sept. 30

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) – The director of the Oklahoma's Medicaid provider says he plans to step down to pursue opportunities in the private sector.

Oklahoma Health Care Authority CEO Nico Gomez said in a letter to the agency's board Monday that he plans to resign effective Sept. 30.

Gomez has been in state government for two decades, including the past 16 years at OHCA. He has served as CEO of the agency for more than three years.

OHCA administers health care programs for more than 800,000 low-income Oklahomans. In his resignation letter, Gomez says OHCA's board and employees "are living examples of people loving and serving their neighbors unconditionally."

The agency has struggled to maintain services after the state refused to expand its Medicaid program as part of the nation's health care overhaul law.